1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication apparatus to which a plurality of public lines are connected and which is capable of transmitting/receiving signals by switching the lines.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hitherto, only one public line has been stored in a facsimile machine. Because the public line is occupied when either one of operations of transmitting image signals from that facsimile machine to a destination facsimile machine and of receiving image signals transmitted from an originating facsimile machine by that facsimile machine is performed, it has been difficult to perform either one of the operationsin performing the other operation. Accordingly, a facsimile machine other than the destination or originating facsimile machine cannot transmit image signals to that facsimile machine during when that machine transmits/receives image signals. Therefore, a transmission waiting time of the other facsimile machine has been prolonged in the case described above.
To overcome the above, technologies for storing a plurality of public lines in one facsimile machine have been developed in order to receive/transmit image signals in parallel by a single facsimile machine. As prior art technologies of this sort, there have been facsimile machines disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publications JP-A 4-23673(1992) and 5-219275(1993). The facsimile machine in JP-A 4-23673 transmits the same image signals to a plurality of facsimile machines by means of the so-called multi-address calling. At this time, the operation for transmitting to each destination is initiated by shifting transmission times, by a predetermined time, in order to prevent all lines that are stored in the facsimile machine from being used at the same time for the transmission of the image signals. The facsimile machine disclosed in JP-A 5-219275 (1993) portions out the stored plurality of lines into lines to be used for transmission and lines for receiving corresponding to the factor of use of a lines. Although the facsimile machine storing the plurality of public lines has been thus arranged so that all of the stored lines are not used at the same time, all of the lines are still used at the same time when an unspecified number of calls to be received are concentrated on all of the lines. This causes a transmission waiting state.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a communication apparatus including a facsimile machine whose manipulation can be simplified and whose time required for communication, including a transmission waiting time, can be shortened.
In a first aspect of the invention, a communication apparatus comprises receiving means for receiving an identification signal for identifying an originating communication apparatus which transmits an object signal to be transmitted/received; storage means for storing an identification signal of a predetermined originating communication apparatus; and determination means for determining whether or not the identification signal stored in the storage means coincides with the identification signal received by the receiving means, wherein when it is determined by the determining means that the identification signals coincide with each other, the receiving means performs a first receiving operation related to receiving of the object signal, and when it is determined by the determination means that the identification signals do not coincide with each other, the receiving means performs a second receiving operation different from the first receiving operation.
According to the first aspect of the invention, the communication apparatus stores an identification signal of a predetermined originating communication apparatus which is permitted to perform communication with the communication apparatus for example, in the storage means in advance. This identification signal is an international telephone number contained in a transmitting subscriber identification signal when the communication apparatus is a facsimile machine for example. In receiving the object signal from the originating communication apparatus, the communication apparatus determines whether or not the identification signal from the originating communication apparatus coincides with the identification signal stored in the storage means before receiving the object signal and changes the receiving operation of the receiving means in receiving the object signal depending on whether the identification signals coincide with each other or not.
For instance, when the inventive communication apparatus is capable of communicating with an unspecified number of originating communication apparatuses and an operator thereof desires the communication apparatus to perform the predetermined receiving operation only when it receives the object signal from the predetermined originating communication apparatus, the predetermined receiving operation is set as the first receiving operation and the general receiving operation is set as the second receiving operation in advance. Thereby, the communication apparatus automatically performs the predetermined receiving operation when it communicates with the predetermined originating communication apparatus and automatically performs the general receiving operation when it communicates with the one other than the predetermined originating communication apparatus among the unspecified number of originating communication apparatuses.
As described above, according to the first aspect of the invention, the communication apparatus switches the receiving operations depending on whether or not the identification signal of the originating communication apparatus coincides with the predetermined identification signal. Accordingly, the receiving operation for the predetermined originating communication apparatus and the receiving operation for the other unspecified number of originating communication apparatuses may be switched readily. Further, the receiving operation may be automatically changed without requiring an operation of changing the receiving operation which is otherwise manually performed by an operator who discerns the originating communication apparatus from the identification signal. Therefore, the manipulation of the communication apparatus may be simplified. Still more, because the two kinds of receiving operations may be performed by one communication apparatus, communication apparatuses for performing the respective receiving operations need not be provided separately. Thereby, a number of communication apparatuses prepared on the object signal receiving side may be reduced.
In a second aspect of the invention, a communication apparatus comprises a plurality of receiving means for receiving an identification signal for identifying an originating communication apparatus which transmits an object signal to be transmitted/received; storage means for storing an identification signal of a predetermined originating communication apparatus; determining means for determining whether or not the identification signal stored in the storage means coincides with the identification signal received by each receiving means; and output means for outputting the object signal received by the plurality of receiving means, by a predetermined first output operation, when the identification signal received by at least one receiving means is determined to coincide with the identification signal stored in the storage means, by the determination means, and for outputting the object signal received by the plurality of receiving means, by a predetermined second output operation different from the first output operation, when the identification signal received by each receiving means is determined not to coincide with the identification signal stored in the storage means, by the determination means.
According to the second aspect of the invention, the communication apparatus stores an identification signal of a predetermined originating communication apparatus which is permitted to perform communication with the communication apparatus for example, in the storage means in advance. In receiving the object signals from the plurality of originating communication apparatuses separately by each receiving means, the communication apparatus determines whether or not the identification signal from the originating communication apparatus coincides with the identification signal stored in the storage means before receiving the object signals and changes the operation for outputting the object signal received by each receiving means depending on whether or not the identification signals coincide with each other.
For instance, when the inventive communication apparatus is capable of communicating with an unspecified number of originating communication apparatus and an operator thereof desires the communication apparatus to perform the predetermined output operation only when the object signal from the predetermined originating communication apparatus is contained among the receive object signals, the predetermined output operation is set as the first receiving operation and the general output operation is set as the second receiving operation in advance. Thereby, when the communication apparatus communicates with the unspecified number of originating communication apparatuses, the communication apparatus automatically performs the predetermined output operation when the predetermined originating communication apparatus is contained among them and automatically performs the general receiving operation when the predetermined originating communication apparatuses is not contained therein.
Further, according to the second aspect of the invention, the communication apparatus switches the operations for outputting the received object signal depending on whether or not the identification signal of the originating communication apparatus coincides with the predetermined identification signal. Accordingly, the operation for outputting the object signals from the unspecified number of originating communication apparatus including the predetermined originating communication apparatus and the operation for outputting the object signals from the unspecified number of originating communication apparatus not including the predetermined originating communication apparatus may be readily switched. Further, the receiving operation may be automatically changed without requiring an operation of changing the output operation which is otherwise manually performed by an operator who discerns each originating communication apparatus from the identification signal. Therefore, the manipulation of the communication apparatus may be simplified. Still more, because the two kinds of output operations may be performed by one communication apparatus, communication apparatuses for performing the respective output operations need not be provided separately. Thereby, a number of communication apparatuses prepared on the object signal receiving side may be reduced.
In a third aspect of the invention, a communication apparatus comprises a plurality of receiving means for receiving an identification signal for identifying an originating communication apparatus which transmits an object signal to be transmitted/received; storage means for storing an identification signal of a predetermined originating communication apparatus; determination means for determining whether or not the identification signal stored in the storage means coincides with the identification signal received by each receiving means; and output means for outputting the object signal received by the plurality of receiving means, by a predetermined first output operation, when the identification signal received by at least one receiving means is determined to coincide with the identification signal stored in the storage means, by the determination means, and for outputting the object signal received by the plurality of receiving means, by a predetermined second output operation different from the first output operation, when the identification signal received by each receiving means is determined not to coincide with the identification signal stored in the storage means, by the determination means, wherein when it is determined by the determination means that the identification signals coincide with each other, at least one receiving means among the plurality of receiving means performs a first receiving operation related to receiving of the object signal, and when it is determined by the determination means that the identification signals do not coincide with each other, the receiving means performs a second receiving operation different from the first receiving operation.
According to the third aspect of the invention, the inventive communication apparatus is what the receiving means of the communication apparatus of the first aspect is applied to at least one receiving means among the plurality of receiving means of the communication apparatus of the second aspect. In this apparatus, at least one receiving means among all of the receiving means switches the receiving operation corresponding to the received identification signal and switches the operation for outputting the object signal received by each receiving means depending on whether or not there is receiving means, among the plurality of receiving means, which has received the predetermined identification signal.
Thereby, the receiving operation for the predetermined originating communication apparatus and the receiving operation for the other unspecified number of originating communication apparatuses may be automatically and readily switched and the output operation of the object signals from the unspecified number of originating communication apparatuses including the predetermined originating communication apparatus and the output operation of the object signals from the unspecified number of originating communication apparatuses not including the predetermined originating communication apparatus may be also automatically and readily switched. Accordingly, the usability of the communication apparatus may be improved further.
Further, the communication apparatus of the third aspect has the plurality of receiving means. It is then possible to arrange such that only part of those receiving means switches the receiving operation by the identification signal as described above and the remaining receiving means other than the partial receiving means among all of the receiving means operate regardless of the identification signal. At this time, the remaining receiving means can receive the object signals from the unspecified number of originating communication apparatuses, respectively. Thereby, the function of the prior art communication apparatus which performs the general receiving operation and that of the communication apparatus which changes its receiving operation depending on whether or not the identification signals coincide with each other may be achieved by one communication apparatus. Thereby, because the communication apparatus which performs the two kinds of receiving operations by itself may be realized, a number of communication apparatuses to be prepared on the receiving side may be reduced.
Further, according to the third aspect of the invention, the communication apparatus switches the output operation of the received object signal depending on whether or not the identification signal of the originating communication apparatus coincides with the predetermined identification signal and switches the receiving operation depending on whether or not the identification signal of the originating communication apparatus coincides with the predetermined identification signal by at least one receiving means among the plurality of receiving means. Thereby, the receiving operation and the output operation may be automatically and readily switched, so that the usability of the communication apparatus may be improved further.
In a fourth aspect of the invention, in the communication apparatus of the first or third aspect, the first receiving operation is an operation for causing the receiving means to continuously communicate with the originating communication apparatus to receive the object signal, and the second receiving operation is an operation for causing the receiving means to end the communication without receiving the object signal from the originating communication apparatus.
According to the fourth aspect of the invention, the first and second receiving operations are performed as described above. When this invention is applied to the invention of the first aspect, the receiving means determines an identification signal at first when the communication is started with an originating communication apparatus, continues the communication to receive the object signal when its identification signal coincides with the stored identification signal and ends the communication before receiving the object signal when the identification signal does not coincide with the stored identification signal. Accordingly, the receiving means automatically rejects to receive the object signal from the unspecified number of originating communication apparatuses other than the originating communication apparatus identified by the stored identification signal. Thereby, this receiving means operates as receiving means dedicated for receiving the object signal from the originating communication apparatus identified by the stored identification signal.
Accordingly, when the originating communication apparatus transmits the object signal to the communication apparatus of the fourth aspect, the communication apparatus receives the identification signal and the object signal from the originating communication apparatus instantly because the receiving means is always opened because it receives no object signal from the other unspecified number of originating communication apparatuses. Accordingly, when the originating communication apparatus transmits the object signal to the inventive communication apparatus, a transmission waiting time from a point of time when the originating communication apparatus starts the transmitting operation till a point of time when the object signal can be actually transmitted between the originating communication apparatus and the inventive communication apparatus may be shortened as compared to the prior art communication apparatuses.
Further, when this receiving operation is applied to the communicating apparatus of the third aspect, at least one of the plurality of receiving means of the communication apparatus switches between to continue and not to continue the communication depending on whether or not the identification signals coincide with each other the same as the receiving means of the communication apparatus which is obtained by applying the fourth aspect to the communication apparatus of the first aspect. In the communication apparatus, only part of the plurality of receiving means switches whether or not to continue the communication by the identification signal as described above and the remaining receiving means other than the part of the receiving means among the plurality of receiving means can operate regardless of the identification signal.
Thereby, the communication apparatus can receive the object signal from the unspecified number of originating communication apparatuses by the remaining receiving means. Further, when transmitting means is added to the communication apparatus, the object signal may be transmitted from this communication apparatus. Accordingly, the communication apparatus of the fourth aspect can achieve the functions of the communication apparatus dedicated for receiving the object signal from the predetermined originating communication apparatus and of the general purpose communication apparatus just by itself. Accordingly, the use of the communication apparatus allows communication to be performed similarly to the prior art communication apparatus and the transmission waiting time of the specific originating communication apparatus to be shortened. Thereby, the usability of the communication apparatus may be improved further.
In a fifth aspect of the invention, in addition to the apparatus of the first aspect, the communication apparatus further comprises transmitting means for transmitting the object signal to a transferred communication apparatus capable of receiving the object signal, and the first receiving operation is an operation for receiving the object signal transmitted from the originating communication apparatus and for transmitting the received object signal to the transmitting means and the second receiving operation is an operation for receiving and outputting the object signal transmitted from the originating communication apparatus.
According to the fifth aspect of the invention, the first and second receiving operations of the inventive communication apparatus are performed as described above. When a communication with an originating communication apparatus is started, the receiving means determines an identification signal at first and then receives and outputs the object signal when the identification signal coincides with the stored identification signal. When the identification signal does not coincide with the stored identification signal, the receiving means receives the object signal and supplies it to the transmitting means to transmit to the transferred communication apparatus. Accordingly, each receiving means transfers the object signal from the originating communication apparatus identified by the stored identification signal automatically to the transferred communication apparatus.
Thereby, this communication apparatus operates as a relay communication apparatus between the originating communication apparatus identified by the stored identification signal and the transferred communication apparatus. Accordingly, the object signal is transmitted automatically without requiring the manipulation for transferring the object signal which is otherwise performed by an operator of the communication apparatus of the fifth aspect. Accordingly, the manipulation performed by the operator may be simplified because the operator is not required to manipulate the communication apparatus to operate the communication apparatus of the fifth aspect as the relay communication apparatus.
Further, according to the fifth aspect of the invention, the communication apparatus outputs the object signal as it is when the identification signal of the originating communication apparatus does not coincides with the predetermined identification signal and transfers the object signal to the transferred communication apparatus when the identification signals coincide with each other. Accordingly, each receiving means transfers the object signal from the originating communication apparatus identified by the stored identification signal automatically to the transferred communication apparatus. Thereby, the manipulation performed by the operator in transferring the object signal may be simplified.
In a sixth aspect of the invention, in addition to the apparatus of the third aspect, the communication apparatus further comprises transmitting means for transmitting an object signal to a transferred communication apparatus capable of receiving the object signal and the first receiving operation is an operation for receiving the object signal transmitted from the originating communication apparatus and for transmitting the received object signal to the transmitting means, and the second receiving operation is an operation for receiving the object signal transmitted from the originating communication apparatus and for supplying the received object signal to the output means.
According to the sixth aspect of the invention, the first and second receiving operations of the inventive communication apparatus are performed as described above. Accordingly, at least one of the plurality of receiving means of the communication apparatus switches whether or not to transfer the object signal to the transferred communication apparatus depending on whether or not the identification signals coincide with each other, the same as the receiving means of the communication apparatus of the fifth aspect. In the communication apparatus, only part of the receiving means among the plurality of receiving means switches whether or not to transfer the object signal by the identification signal as described above and the remaining receiving means can operate regardless of the identification signal and output the object signal from the unspecified number of originating communication apparatuses as it is.
Thereby, the communication apparatus can output all of the object signals from the unspecified number of originating communication apparatuses by the remaining receiving means. Accordingly, the communication apparatus of the sixth aspect achieves the functions of the communication apparatus dedicated for relaying the object signal from the predetermined originating communication apparatus and of the general purpose communication apparatus just by itself. Accordingly, the use of the communication apparatus allows the communication to be performed similarly to the prior art communication apparatus and the manipulation for the transfer may be simplified. Thereby, the usability of the communication apparatus may be improved further.
In a seventh aspect of the invention, in addition to the apparatus of the first or third aspect, the communication apparatus further comprises printing means for printing the object signal to a recording sheet; and supplying means for supplying one type of recording sheet among a plurality of types of recording sheets whose shape and size are different to the printing means, and the first receiving operation is an operation for receiving the object signal transmitted from the originating communication apparatus, for supplying a predetermined type of recording sheet among the plurality of types of recording sheets from the supplying means to the printing means and for causing the printing means to print the object signal on the supplied recording sheet, and the second receiving operation is an operation for receiving the object signal transmitted from the originating communication apparatus, for supplying any one type of recording sheet among the plurality of types of recording sheets from the supplying means to the printing means and for causing the printing means to print the object signal on the supplied recording sheet.
According to the seventh aspect of the invention, the first and second receiving operations of the inventive communication apparatus are performed as described above. When the communication apparatus of the seventh aspect is constructed on the basis of the communication apparatus of the first aspect, the receiving means determines an identification signal at first when a communication is started with an originating communication apparatus and causes the supplying means to supply the predetermined type of recording sheet to the printing means. When the identification signal does not coincide with the stored identification signal, it causes the supplying means to supply any one type of recording sheet among the plurality of types of recording sheets to the printing means. The receiving means supplies the object signal to the printing means to print the object signal on the recording sheet supplied from the supplying means. Accordingly, the object signal from the originating communication apparatus identified by the stored identification signal is printed automatically on the predetermined type of recording sheet. Accordingly, the recording sheet is automatically selected without requiring the operator of the communication apparatus of the seventh aspect to conduct an operation for switching the types of recording sheet. Therefore, the operations conducted by the operator may be simplified.
Further, when the communication apparatus of the seventh aspect is constructed on the basis of the communication apparatus of the third aspect, at least one of the plurality of receiving means of the communication apparatus switches the type of recording sheet on which the object signal is to be printed, depending on whether or not the identification signals coincide with each other, the same as the receiving means of the communication apparatus constructed on the basis of the communication apparatus of the first aspect. Further, the recording sheet may be selected corresponding to the identification signal as described above only by part of the receiving means among the plurality of receiving means and the recording sheet may be selected regardless of the identification signal by the remaining receiving means in this communication apparatus.
As described above, the communication apparatus of the seventh aspect prints the object signal on a recording sheet of a predetermined type when the identification signal of the originating communication apparatus coincides with a predetermined identification signal and prints the object signal on a recording sheet of an arbitrary type when they do not coincide. Accordingly, the recording sheet is automatically selected without requiring the operator of the communication apparatus of the seventh aspect to conduct the operation for switching the types of recording sheet. Therefore, the operations conducted by the operator may be simplified. Accordingly, the inventive communication apparatus can achieve the functions of the communication apparatus which prints the object signal from the predetermined originating communication apparatus on the recording sheet of a predetermined type and of the general purpose communication apparatus by itself. Accordingly, the use of this communication apparatus allows communication to be performed similarly to the prior art communication apparatus and the manipulation for selecting the recording sheet to be simplified. Thereby, the usability of the communication apparatus may be improved further.
In an eighth aspect of the invention, in the communication aspect of the second or third aspect, the first output operation is an operation for outputting the object signal received by the receiving means which has received the identification signal which coincides with the identification signal stored in the storage means among the plurality of receiving means prior to the object signal received by the remaining receiving means other than the receiving means which has received the coincident identification signal among the plurality of receiving means, and the second output operation is an operation for outputting the object signals received by each receiving means in a predetermined sequence.
According to the eighth aspect of the invention, the first and second output operations are performed as described above. That is, when the plurality of receiving means start to communicate in the same time, the output means checks whether or not the identification signal received by each receiving means coincides with the stored identification signal and when there is the coincident identification signal, outputs the object signal received by the receiving means which has received the identification signal prior to the object signal received by the remaining receiving means other than the receiving means which has received the coincident identification signal among all of the receiving means. Further, when the identification signals received by all of the receiving means do not coincide with the stored identification signals, the output means outputs the object signals received by each receiving means in a predetermined sequence.
As described above, according to the eighth aspect of the invention, when the identification signal received by either one receiving means coincides with the predetermined identification signal, the communication apparatus outputs the object signal received by the receiving means which has received the identification signal prior to the object signal received by the remaining receiving means. Thereby, in the case where the output operation of the communication apparatus of the eighth aspect is applied to the communication apparatus of the second or third aspect, when an object signal is transmitted from a predetermined originating communication apparatus, the output means outputs the object signal prior to object signals from the other unspecified number of originating communication apparatuses. Thereby, when the object signal is transmitted from the predetermined originating communication apparatus to the communication apparatus, an output waiting time from a point of time when the object signal is received till a point of time when the object signal is actually output may be shortened. Accordingly, the time required for the communication between the originating communication apparatus and the communication apparatus of the eighth aspect may be shortened.
In a ninth aspect of the invention, in the apparatus of the second or third aspect, identification signals of a plurality of originating communication apparatuses are stored in the storage means, the first output operation is an operation for collecting and outputting object signals received by the receiving means which has received the identification signal which coincides with the identification signal stored in the storage means among the plurality of receiving means, and the second output operation is an operation for outputting the object signals received by each receiving means separately.
According to the ninth aspect of the invention, the first and second output operations of the inventive communication apparatus are performed as described above. When the plurality of receiving means start to communicate in the same time, the output means checks whether or not the identification signal received by each receiving means coincides with any one of the stored plurality of identification signals and when the identification signal received by each of the plurality of receiving means coincides with any one of the stored identification signals, collects and outputs the object signals received by those receiving means. When the identification signals received by all of the receiving means do not coincide with all of the stored identification signals, the output means outputs the object signals received by each a receiving mean separately. Thereby, when the object signals are transmitted from the plurality of predetermined originating communication apparatuses in the same time, the communication apparatus of the ninth aspect can summarize those object signals as one object signal.
This communication apparatus may be used as follows for example. When an object signal is to be transmitted to this communication apparatus, an operator on the other side of the line prepares a plurality of originating communication apparatuses whose identification signals are stored in the communication apparatus of the ninth aspect, divides the object signal to be transmitted into a plurality of signals and transmits each divided signal separately as object signals through each of the originating communication apparatuses. When the respective originating communication apparatuses are operated in parallel, the original object signal is restored because the receiving communication apparatus of the ninth aspect collects the object signals received by the respective receiving means. Accordingly, when an original is transmitted by the above-mentioned procedure, a time required for transmitting the object signal from each originating communication apparatus to the receiving means may be shortened as compared to the case of transmitting the original object signal as it is.
Further, when an object signal is created by reading an original, the originating communication apparatus divides the original into a plurality of parts in advance to transmit the object signal by dividing into a plurality of parts. Then, each originating communication apparatus reads each divided original to create and transmit the object signal. Because a number or an area of the original to be read in each originating communication apparatus is small as compared to a number or an area of the first original at this time, a time required for reading the original in each originating communication apparatus may be shortened as compared to the case of reading and transmitting the original object signal collectively. Accordingly, in the case where the communication apparatus of the ninth aspect is constructed on the basis of the communication apparatus of the second or third aspect, a time from a point of time when the originating communication apparatus starts to read the original till a point of time when the object signal is outputted by the communication apparatus of the ninth aspect, i.e. a time required for the communication between the originating communication apparatus and the inventive communication apparatus, may be shortened.
As described above, according to the ninth aspect, when the identification signals received by the plurality of receiving means coincide with the predetermined plurality of identification signals, the communication apparatus collects the object signals received by those receiving means and outputs as one object signal. Thereby, the time required for reading the original in each originating communication apparatus and the time required for transmitting the object signal from each originating communication apparatus to the receiving means may be shortened. Accordingly a time required for the communication between the originating communication apparatus and the inventive communication apparatus, may be shortened.